I hadn't heard about the fennec foxes, but I can see how they would appeal to people with money to spend on "cute exotics". The wildlife laws in Canada, as well as much of the U.S., are weak and ineffective when it comes to any type of regulation. One doesn't require a license to obtain a spider monkey, as one was notoriously stolen from the Greater Vancouver Zoo last week. Owning black servals or fennec foxes is easy enough for anyone wishing to spend the cash.